Steven Crossley gives an intelligent narration of English actor Alan Rickman's diaries. While not imitating Rickman's voice, Crossley makes personal comments sound authentic. Covering the years from 1993 to his death from pancreatic cancer in 2015, Rickman's diaries are not a gossipy tell-all. His amusing anecdotes are sharply drawn and delivered by Crossley with Rickman's slightly jaundiced attitude. Whether he's in classic dramas on stage or film or becoming arch criminal Hans Gruber in 1988's DIE HARD or Professor Snape in the HARRY POTTER series, Rickman's singular performances are tiny treasures of acting. Emma Thompson's foreword, delivered by Bonnie Wright, and an afterword, narrated by Rima Horton, Rickman's wife of many years, combine with Crossley's engaging delivery to offer fans a listening treat.
Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
Duration: 19 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250870551
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
An essential listen for Sondheim enthusiasts.
For those who know Sondheim best as the lyricist of Broadway giants such as Gypsy and West Side Story, this extremely well-researched, rather concise audiobook will enlighten and inform. Author Okrent’s boundless enthusiasm is clear in his performance as he discusses Sondheim’s personal and professional journey. Sondheim, who passed in 2021, was an intensely private man, but fans of Company, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, and more of Sondheim's work will appreciate that Okrent was able to mine previously unexamined archives and other resources.
An essential listen for Sondheim enthusiasts.Pub Date: May 16, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 21 mins
DD ISBN: 9798228745124
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: April 28, 2026
Listeners will get to know a charming woman, and to share her love for poetry.
Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn is not only a marvelous actor, she is also a lover of poetry and a graceful and engaging writer. At 93, her voice is not as strong as it was, but she still knows how to use it to tell a story and interpret a poem. In this anthology she uses a selection of her favorite poems—some familiar, some from skilled but little-known poets—to trace the growth of her poetic taste, her relationship with the art, and her spiritual development. Her readings of Mary Oliver, Rumi, Poe, and more are as good as her comments, meaningful and instructive.
Listeners will get to know a charming woman, and to share her love for poetry.Pub Date: April 28, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs, 9 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063387706
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: yesterday
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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